One of the cabins at River Land Cabins and Campground.
A new vacation destination will be coming to the Columbus, Ohio, area in spring 2021 – River Land Cabins and Campground, according to the Columbus Telegram.
It’s the brainchild of realty couple Bob and Betty Earley, who own Earley Real Estate and Construction in Columbus. Three weeks before the devastating floods last year, they purchased 44 acres of land that is located east of Tailrace Park along the Platte River.
“Well, I guess we started it because we got an opportunity to buy the land that had been privately owned for probably about 30 years, and wasn’t developed at all,” Betty said, noting that the previous owner kept horses on the land.
The couple sold 20 acres of land but kept 24.
Thanks to the floods, a big chunk of their land and 10 large trees washed away and they had to wait for some roads to get fixed before being able to go to the land.
“We started clearing … in April 2019. (We) had to wait for the roads to get all put back together and the flood, you know, made everything soggy out here,” Betty said.
Bob and Betty constructed the first building – now called Eagle Lodge – with their own family in mind. But upon developing the land, they kept seeing beautiful views and continued with establishing cabins and a camping area, they said.
“Every time we clear a spot, we just find some really prime real estate was under all the brush and all the trees,” Bob noted.
A variety of activities, such as fishing, kayaking and canoe trips, can be enjoyed at the site, Bob added. Plans also include a playground and a sand volleyball court, he said.
Eagle Lodge took six months to complete. It sleeps eight people. The Platte River Cabin, which sleeps five people, took three months to finish as it’s smaller. The couple is in the process of completing a second building, Loup River Cabin.
Additionally, 30 campsites are planned along the north side of the land. That land had to be leveled and electrical, plumbing and water established, Bob said. A shower house and dump station are planned for the campsite.
